I have acne-prone dry skin. What can help me treat it?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am suffering from face itching and redness. I have sensitive, oily, acne-prone skin, and also irritation with skin dryness and flakiness. The skin on the cheeks and forehead is especially dry.

I do not know, actually, what happened to my skin. Every day, I get new acne on my face even though I did not eat any junk or oily, deep-fried foods.

I could not talk to anyone confidently, and also, I actually had overbite teeth; I felt like a low and weak person.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I have seen the pictures (the attachments were removed to protect the patient's identity) you have shared for better clarity. From your description and the photo, this looks like a combination of mild acne with a damaged skin barrier.

When skin becomes irritated from over-washing, harsh face washes, scrubs, or too many acne products, it can become red, itchy, flaky on the cheeks and forehead, yet still oily and acne-prone.

This is very common at your age (18 years) because hormones naturally increase oil production, and when the skin barrier gets weak, even normal products start to burn or irritate.

Right now, the most important step is to repair your skin barrier first, not to use strong anti-acne creams. Use a very gentle cleanser only twice daily (no scrubs, no face brushes, no frequent washing).

You can use a simple, refreshing face wash available in your place containing Hyaluronic acid and ceramides, followed by a light, non-comedogenic moisturizer like PEA (Palmitamide MEA) 5 Ceramides, Hyaluronic acid moisturizer.

Sunscreen is very important; use sunscreen SPF (sun protection factor) 30 or higher every morning, even indoors, to prevent worsening of pigmentation.

To manage the acne, I would suggest you just use Clindamycin one percent lotion on the affected acne areas twice daily after face wash and before your moisturiser, as using any active form like Adapalene or Azelaic acid will again disrupt the skin barrier and lead to more dryness, so I would not suggest that

You just stick to the Clindamycin for at least three to four weeks to see a considerable improvement in your acne.

For skin repair, use a moisturiser containing Squalane and Glycerine, two to three times per day, to get rid of all the flakes from the face. At this stage, keep your routine minimal: a gentle cleanser, soothing moisturizer, and sunscreen.

Avoid scrubs, face packs, multiple serums, or harsh acne creams. Your skin is not bad; it is just irritated. Calm it first, and the acne will gradually improve. Be patient and consistent, and you will see positive changes.

I hope it helps with your query.

Thank you so much.